The World Cup Squads and Preamble; And it's ... Live!!

buffybegood

ASLEFshrugged said:

buffybegood said:

12 groups of 4, but then you can have teams finishing third and still making the last 32

1986, 1990 and 1994 four out of six third-place teams advanced to the round of 16.

Some 3rd place teams did rather well, 1986 Belgium got to the semis, 1990 Argentia got to the final and 1994 Italy got to the final

It's just an inelegant format imo, all caused by Infantino's insistence that 32 countries isn't enough to have at the World Cup. As I say, they might as well just do away with qualifying and let everyone turn up.

Bazshuayi

cleaning my boots just in case

ASLEFshrugged

The World Cup has expanded twice already, it started out with 16, expanded to 24 in 1984 and 32 in 1998

Platini proposed expanding to 40 teams in 2013 so this isn't a new idea.

Italy and Colombia were the noticeable absences this year, obviously FIFA think that expanding the tournament is the best way of ensuring all the big names appear at their big party and boost the TV revenue

Basically its FIFA's tournament, they can do whatever they like with it and regardless of how many teams start the competition there's only ever going to be one winner

thornburyiron

The World Cup is FIFA’s only source of competition income so they’ll keep expanding more and more. That’s why they (Infantile) wants to introduce these new world club and continent competitions.

ASLEFshrugged

Aguerd on the bench but that still leaves a puzzling question

How does anyone catch the flu in Qatar? They must have some serious air conditioning in those hotels!

thornburyiron

The air conditioning is being blamed for the French defenders catching flu.

buffybegood

ASLEFshrugged said:

Italy and Colombia were the noticeable absences this year, obviously FIFA think that expanding the tournament is the best way of ensuring all the big names appear at their big party and boost the TV revenue

2 noticeable absenses justifies an extra 16 places? Qualifying needs a certain edge to it otherwise all the games are pretty meaningless (which, tbh, a large number of them are anyway).

48 teams takes us to nearly a quarter of all National Associations within FIFA, but many are nowhere near competitive on a world stage. What next, 64 teams makes as much sense as 48 as that's 16 groups of 4, top two qualify, into a knockout round of 32 which will also be in play in the next World Cup?

The format for 32 teams works, top 2 teams in all groups qualify, it just feels about the right size. Extra games doesn't always mean better, there were plenty of matches this time around that held little interest tbh. Making it bigger is just going to dilute it imo.

PrestonHammer

I probably had a bad head cold. If he had caught the flu, he'd probably still be in bed now.

buffybegood

PrestonHammer said:

I probably had a bad head cold. If he had caught the flu, he'd probably still be in bed now.

Yeah, once you've had flu, you never say you've got it when you have a cold, there's a world of difference.

buffybegood

Great put-down by Frankie Dettori (who will retire at the end of next season):

"Look at Ronaldo, one day he was playing and he's on the bench the next. I don't want to end up like that....... "

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/64011657

ASLEFshrugged

buffybegood said:

2 noticeable absenses justifies an extra 16 places? Qualifying needs a certain edge to it otherwise all the games are pretty meaningless (which, tbh, a large number of them are anyway).

48 teams takes us to nearly a quarter of all National Associations within FIFA, but many are nowhere near competitive on a world stage. What next, 64 teams makes as much sense as 48 as that's 16 groups of 4, top two qualify, into a knockout round of 32 which will also be in play in the next World Cup?

The format for 32 teams works, top 2 teams in all groups qualify, it just feels about the right size. Extra games doesn't always mean better, there were plenty of matches this time around that held little interest tbh. Making it bigger is just going to dilute it imo.

No doubt there were some people who thought expanding it from 16 to 24 in 1982 or from 24 to 32 in 1998 would "dilute it" but it hasn't made much difference to the eventual outcome.

In the 11 World Cups since 1982 Germany and Argentina have each reached the final 5 times, Italy, Brazil and France 3 times with Spain, Holland and Croatia just the once

I doubt if fewer people will watch it in 2026 because there are more games

On the plus side it will increase the possibility of Wales, Scotland and Ireland qualifying, and we can have a giggle when they get knocked out in the Group stage...

OutcastLondoner

ASLEFshrugged said:

Aguerd on the bench but that still leaves a puzzling question

How does anyone catch the flu in Qatar? They must have some serious air conditioning in those hotels!

The journalists have been saying loads of them have been falling ill as well. Either the AC or something going around and they’re spending too much time with each other.

steve

Just say what it is ....covid

IronHerb

I think I read there are currently more hospitalisations, in the UK, down to flu rather than Covid.

MrsGrey

A quick Google suggests you are partly right - definitely in England ( not UK).

Go get vaccinated, folks :-)

Edit - although, I agree with earlier posters that it seems unlikely these footballers actually have flu. It's a shorthand for a cold, or maybe COVID. But really not influenza.

And another edit. What on earth is stomach flu, which Americans seem to get all the time. It's just a made up thing, surely.

thornburyiron

Gastroenteritis but it’s too big a word for Americans

claretandbluesky

I think the qualifying needs to be removed in favour of a tennis like system in which ranked teams qualify through ranking and a play off or group system for lower or unranked nations to fill the extra spots. No one needs watch Germany play San Marino or France play the Faroe Islands.

buffybegood

claretandbluesky said:

I think the qualifying needs to be removed in favour of a tennis like system in which ranked teams qualify through ranking and a play off or group system for lower or unranked nations to fill the extra spots. No one needs watch Germany play San Marino or France play the Faroe Islands.

We'll end up with that at the World Cup Finals soon if Infantino has his way.

ASLEFshrugged

Once again FIFA needs the big teams like France, Germany, Brazil, etc. playing as many games as possible because those teams draw bigger TV audiences and generate revenue

It really is that simple, FIFA want to maximise profit

IronHerb

I'm pretty sure the TV rights are sold way before qualification is complete.

buffybegood

Southgate to stay on:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63943512

thornburyiron

Not sure that’s a good thing. According to stats, since he took over we’ve played 24 games against the top ranked teams and won only 4. His successes are generally in qualifying groups where we play at least 2 minnows each time.

ASLEFshrugged

IronHerb said:

I'm pretty sure the TV rights are sold way before qualification is complete.

I'm sure they are but there's also advertising, sponsors, etc. The bigger the team the bigger the audience the more cash goes to FIFA

As an example I would imagine more people watched Brazil v Serbia in the Group stage than watched Japan v Croatia in the Round of 16, simply because it was Brazil

That brings us back to why FIFA want to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, so that big names like Italy don't miss out




Southgate got us to the final of the Euros, a semi final and a quarter final in the World Cup. When we get knocked out in the Group stages or get knocked out in the Round of 16 by Iceland then I will start to think his time is up

thornburyiron

2018 World Cup
Group stage beat Tunisia (minnow), Panama (less than minnow) on penalties and lost to Belgium
Last 16 beat Columbia on penalties
QF beat Sweden
Semi lost to Croatia
3/4 lost to Belgium

2020 Euros
Group stage beat Croatia, drew with Scotland and lost to Czechs
Last 16 beat Germany
QF beat Ukraine
Semi beat Denmark
Final lost to Italy.
All but Ukraine game at Wembley

2022 World Cup
Group stage beat Iran, drew with USA and beat Wales
Last 16 beat Senegal
QF lost to France

2023 Nations league
Lost to Hungary twice, drew with Germany twice and drew and lost to Italy.

Typically we win matches we should never lose but rarely win matches when it’s likely to be tough.

Just my opinion of course.

IronHerb

So what you are saying is that we would have won the World Cup, probably twice, and Euros under a different manager?

Slacker

I’m glad he’s staying but I question his sanity.
Why would you put yourself through all that bile and hate after every draw or defeat?
Must be made of strong stuff.👏

steve

Or the moneys good ,or he won't get a job anywhere else

Slacker

Seriously?

steve

A bit tongue in cheek i guess . Just does not fill me with a warm fuzzy feeling

buffybegood

thornburyiron said:

Typically we win matches we should never lose but rarely win matches when it’s likely to be tough.

Just my opinion of course.

I think there's been progress, we lost on penalties to Italy in the final last summer, and with a different referee we probably would have beaten France last weekend, with only Morocco between us and a World Cup Final.